Ties That Bind
by rogue-scholar07
Summary: The original 5 Grimwood girls are heading home to visit family and witness Tanis's unwrapping ceremony. Can Tanis learn to stand up to Nefera and Cleo? Will Spectra and Phantasma's fighting result in ending each other's afterlives? Femslash inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note:**** I'm quite amazed that no one has thought to cross these two fandoms over yet, so I'll break the mold and be the first. I will be aging the Grimwood girls up about six years. This will put Elsa, Phanty, and Sibella in the 18-22 year age range, Winnie will be 15, and Tanis will be 12 years old. Set in web-series Monster High-verse**

**Summary: ****The first five Grimwood Girls return home to their families over the summer for Tanis' special 'unwrapping' ceremony. But will Tanis have the confidence to stand up to her sisters Nefera and Cleo while their father's away? Will Phanty and her hated half-sister Spectra survive the summer without ending one another's afterlives? **

**The Ties That Bind**

**1. Coming Home**

The train ride from the airport in downtown Portland into Salem seemed to last forever for the five female occupants of passenger car number 4. These ladies were on their way back to their homes to visit family over the summer. Three of them appeared to be college-aged, while the other two looked more like middle-scholars. All five were past or present students of Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for Ghouls.

"Tanis, there's no need to be nervous." A nearly transparent girl with pale blue skin and near-white eyes soothed a younger girl whose long skirt and hooded sweatshirt covered up her bandages. Transparent girl wore a white, floaty long-sleeved silk dress with a laced-up neckline that plunged to her navel and blue floral designs reminiscent of a china cup. White go-go boots laced up to her knees, and her snow-white hair- marred by a rebellious stripe of blue- was kept in a neat asymmetrical bob. "This is a happy, wonderful time in your life. You're finally getting those bandages off!"

"But Daddy won't be home for two more days." Tanis sighed, large blue eyes fixed on her shoes. "He's not back from his trip to Egypt yet. But Nefera and Cleo have the house all to themselves."

"Sweetie, don't worry about them." The ghastly girl said softly. "If those sisters of yours give you any troubles at all, come get one of us."

"Phanty's right." A girl of about fifteen nodded. Her wild orange curls stood in stark contrast to her tan fur and only intensified the glow in her golden eyes. She wore a blue tight tank top, denim cut-off shorts, and a pair of sneakers. "We're your pack, Tanis. If you're in trouble, we're here to help!"

"Well said, Winnie." A stunning woman with long violet hair and emerald green eyes spoke up, nodding to the young werewolf. She wore a floor-length, sinfully tight deep purple dress with long sleeves and a low v-neckline. A red and black Renaissance-style corset cinched around her torso, and red high heels adorned her feet. "Remember, sweetie, we are Grimwood Girls, and Grimwood Girls get each other's backs."

"Right. No bossy big sister is a match for all of us together." Winnie nodded an affirmative. "Or brother. And I should know!"

"I just hope my cousin hasn't turned into a brat." A tall girl sighed. Her pale mint-green skin was traversed by irregular lines of stitches, and a pair of bolts stuck out of her neck. Her black curly hair—once so kinky that it stuck straight up—had been spelled so that it fell in tiny ringlets down to her back with two bright white stripes peeking out like rebel diamonds in a sea of onyx. She wore a simple black top, brown plaid shorts, black tights, and a pair of black and tan knee boots.

"Elsa, I'm sure this Frankie kid is doing just fine." The green-eyed woman said. "She's running with my kid sister and Winnie's older one, so she's not in terrible company…even if she is determined to please Cleo. She could have picked much worse friends."

"Yeah, like my evil step-ghoul." The transparent one folded her arms.

"Phanty, are we seriously going to have to hear this rant again?" Winnie growled in disapproval.

"Sorry, but I just don't see how mother can approve of… oh, wait, I do." The young phantom scoffed. "I keep forgetting that she's the one who ran off in search of a wealthier ghoul to leech off of."

"Phanty…" The purple-haired woman warned.

"And seriously, was it really that much of an upgrade?" Phanty continued. "She left Father, the Phantom himself, for a measly ghost! And not even a talented one!"

"Phantasma…" The young vampire's tone was becoming more forceful now.

But her see-through counterpart continued to ignore her. "But he's wealthy, so I suppose that's all that matters to her. Never mind that she's traded her own flesh and ectoplasm off for some spotlight-stealing, gossip mongering little w…"

"PHANTASMA!" the vampiress roared, suddenly garnering the full attention of anyone within earshot. Phantasma wisely quieted down. "Goodness, woman, shut up about Spectra already! We've all heard this speech—twice!"

"Sorry, Sibella." The ghastly ghoul looked properly scolded by her elder friend. "But you know how I feel about that little hussy!"

"It's not an excuse for your behavior, though." Sibella placed her hands on her hips. "She's only a sophomore this year. As I recall, you were quite the Gossip Ghoul yourself at that age. And isn't she also your mother's child?"

"She is no relative of mine." The phantom responded darkly. Sibella's weary green eyes glanced toward Elsa, who shrugged in response. Dealing with Phanty in one of her 'I hate my family' moods was trying at the best of times, but no one could say anything about it without sending her flying off the handle again.

"Then would you stop bitching about it?" Winnie grumbled.

"Winifred." Sibella glared in disapproval, using the redhead's full first name. As with all their 'pups', the Wolfs had a pattern with their children's names. Their previous litters had "Claw", "Paw", or "Howl" in their first names. Winnie's litter of three went a different route (by her father's request) and had names that started with the letter "W". Her two littermates were Willis and Wallace.

"But she's not helping at all, Bella!" The young werewolf protested. "She's only making Tanis more nervous! I can smell it, and so can you!"

A forlorn sigh escaped the young woman's lips. As Winnie had pointed out, Tanis had become much more nervous and upset. And considering how depressed the young princess was to start with, that was no small accomplishment! "Look, we need to STOP complaining about our relatives. It won't do us any good in the end. Tanis, if Nefera gives you trouble and Cleo isn't willing to help; I'll fly over there and spell her myself." Sibella stated with an authority that the other girls couldn't hope to muster at present. An authority born from her lineage and the position she stood to inherit.

Though Phantasma and Tanis's fathers both held important positions in the Council of Elders, neither of them ran it (despite Ramses' claims to the contrary). Tanis, being the youngest of three sisters, would never rise higher than princess. In addition, Phantasma, though the oldest child of the reigning Phantom, had no designs to step up as a head of the council. That responsibility fell to Sibella, firstborn child of Count Vlad Tepes Dracula-King of Vampires and leader of the Council. Also, because her mother was an accomplished sorceress AND she trained under renown witch Ms. Grimwood, Sibella had a sort of power all her own. If she wanted to turn Nefera de Nile into hairless mole rat, it would be done, and all the other Grimwood Girls knew it.

"I just wish she wasn't so mean." The Egyptian girl sighed. "She told me over the phone last week that since she and Cleo got the beauty of the family, I was doomed to be unattractive."

"Bitch." Winnie coughed under her breath, earning yet another glare from Sibella.

"Again, if you need anything from us, day or night, call or send a spell-mail." Sibella told her as Elsa glanced nervously out the window. Their stop would be coming up soon… and the longest summer of their lives. Winnie was preparing for her first year of high school classes and deciding whether to stay at Grimwood's or transfer to Monster High. Tanis would be taking her facial bandages off. And, lastly, she and Elsa's relationship would finally come out of the closet.

Yeah…she wasn't looking forward to that part. Though Elsa's parents knew and accepted their relationship as the serious thing it had turned into, her mother and father didn't have a clue. She'd gone through that small phase in middle school when she took to teasing one of the cadets at the military camp next door, but that never became anything other than a platonic, if strained, friendship as the years marched on.

Sophmore year, Sibella realized she liked girls a lot more than she liked boys. And at the time, the one in her crosshairs was her best ghoul-friend Phantasma. Such a shame the young phantom was straighter than an arrow… she had a willowy, graceful frame that many monsters would kill for.

For many years, it was hard to see Elsa as anything but a geek with bad hair, but the granddaughter of Frankenstein's monster surprised everyone during her junior and senior years by developing soft curves in all the right places. And because she was almost six feet tall, several modeling agencies wanted her to work their runways. To their shock, Elsa turned them down and turned her attention and a PhD in Applied Chemistry and Potionology. Her physique had changed, but she was still the same ghoul she'd always been, and that genuineness drew Sibella in like a moth to a flame. The relationship was awkward at first, but soon they were going on regular dates and leaving drawers worth of personal property in each other's dorm rooms.

Under normal circumstances, something like this would be a scandal of major proportions. It could potentially cause her to lose her position in the family line to her younger sister, Laura. But, since Laura chose to be a vegetarian (girl fainted at the sight of blood, for creep's sake!), and there was no other sibling (unless mother and father had gotten really busy while she was gone…), the spot in the council was irrevocably hers.

Scandal was still scandal, though. Her reputation and Elsa's would suffer because of this. She wasn't sure if lesbians could marry in this state. Even if they could, the council would still see it as 'unnatural'. Please! Who were they to decide what was natural? Half of them were undead, intangible, or had to resist the urge to climb up the tapestries of their own castles.

"We're here." Winnie yelped as the train slowed to a gradual stop. All five girls exchanged eye contact with one another, and then stood to collect their bags and walk out onto the platform.

Frankie was _totally_ charged up about today. After an eternity of waiting, she was finally going to meet her cousin Elsa! The mint-skinned teen idly wondered if those pictures she saw on Aunt Viktoria's mantle would do the other ghoul justice. After all, Aunty Vicky had said that picture was a few years out of date. Would Elsa look even more stunning than she did at her graduation from high school?

And her family wasn't the only one waiting at the station for the train from Portland. Dracula and Vannapira, Draculaura's parents, waited with their younger daughter for their oldest child to return. The entire Wolf family turned out to welcome their youngest daughter Winnie home, and Cleo and Nefera were excitedly standing in for their parents (apparently off on business in Egypt again) for their younger sister. Well, Cleo seemed mildly excited. Nefera looked downright bored.

And then there was Spectra and her mother. In an Earth-shattering revelation, Frankie learned that Spectra had an older half-sister. Apparently Mrs. Vondergeist had been married to the original Phantom (Laura went into major freak-out mode over that), but then cheated on him with Mr. Vondergeist, divorced him, and had Spectra. It was quite apparent from the look on Spectra's face that she and her sister were not on good terms. Heck, if rumor was true, Mrs. Vondergeist and her daughter hadn't spoken in over a year. Still, the transparent woman waited for her firstborn to arrive, a hopeful, if nervous, expression on her pale blue face.

"There's their train." Viktor, Frankie's father, said with a bright smile on his face. "They should be out as soon as the doors open." His daughter had to restrain herself from squealing. She was so excited that sparks began to dance off her neck bolts.

The first monster out of car number four, however, was not Elsa. It was a blur of blue, brown, and orange that nearly knocked Mr. Wolf to the ground. Frankie studied the newcomer intently for about thirty seconds, quickly realizing that 1) Winnie was not as fashionably minded as her sister, Clawdeen was, and 2) she was the only one in the family with bright orange hair. Sure, there were one or two other red heads, but none with locks that bright. How odd… but she had the same facial structure as her siblings, so they must all be related. Good to know.

Next off was a transparent young woman in a short white and blue dress. She kept her head held high and regarded Mrs. Vondergeist with a look of strained civility. "Mother." She said, her high-pitched voice sounding cold as ice.

"Phantasma." Mrs. Vondergeist smiled. "I'm so glad you've come ho…"

"This is NOT my home." Phantasma narrowed her pale eyes. "My home is with Father. The only reason I'm visiting is because of Tanis."

That seemed to get Cleo's attention. So Tanis was the source of the strained family reunion. Apparently, the girl was well loved by her former classmates…

… As was plainly evident when the bandaged girl in question stepped off the train, flanked on either side by two (much) older ghouls. An absolutely _gorgeous_ woman with long flowing violet hair rested her pale lavender hand protectively on Tanis's shoulder, while her taller black-haired companion regarded Nefera and Cleo with scrutiny.

These two must be Sibella and Elsa. Apparently, neither one of the two thought much of Nefera. If looks could kill, the mummified crown princess of Egypt would be dead twice over.

"So you've both returned?" Nefera asked, standing straighter in an attempt to make herself look more regal. Frankie recognized it as a 'fail'. For all the posture and insane amount of pure gold jewelry Nefera had on, she couldn't match the sheer _power_ Sibella projected. She didn't need fancy necklaces or a tiara to prove she was in charge here.

"For the time being." Sibella replied coolly.

"You sure you don't want to stay with one of us until your parents get home?" Elsa asked Tanis. The smaller ghoul shook her head.

"No." she said, blue eyes looking up at the granddaughter of Frankenstein's monster. "I want to say hello to Daddy as soon as he walks in the door."

"Then you take care of yourself." Sibella told her. "If you need anything, call one of us up, okay?" Tanis nodded an affirmative and walked over to Cleo's right side—the side farthest from Nefera.

Frankie would later swear up and down that she saw the Vampire Princess mutter "bitch" under her breath once she'd turned her back to the de Nile girls.

"Elsa!" Uncle Lazarus called out to his daughter, who immediately jogged into his arms. "Oh, I've missed you so much!"

"You too, Da." Elsa wrapped her father in a bear hug. Frankie blinked. She hadn't expected the older girl to be so…tall. However, she definitely picked up on the family resemblance. She was the spitting image of their grandmother in all but the eyes. Grandma had brown eyes (at least, she did in the photos that Dad had around). Elsa had one brown eye and one icy blue eye.

"Oh, honey, we've wanted to show you so many things this year!" Aunt Viktoria said, tears starting to form in her eyes. "But now you're here and you can see it all!"

"Oh, Ma…" the raven-tressed girl gave her mother a loving embrace. "You're making me cry…"

"Well, there's no need for tears now." Viktor cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the two women. Viktoria looked away apologetically while Elsa's eyes lit up.

"Uncle Vik!" She grinned, pumping his hand eagerly. "It's been eons since I've seen you!" She then looked to the woman on his left. "And Aunt Viv… wow, you look great! Did you get a new haircut?"

"No, you just haven't seen it styled this way before." Viv casually flipped a lock of long dark hair back over her shoulder. "And speaking of things you haven't seen yet, there's someone your uncle and I want you to meet." She rested her right hand gently on her daughter's shoulder while Frankie stared up at her relative in awe. "This is your cousin, Frankie."

Elsa looked at her younger relative for a moment, analyzing every detail of the other ghoul's body. "She got your jaw line, Uncle Vik." The curly-haired woman finally concluded. "You two did good work."

"Uh…thanks?" Frankie said uncertainly, tiny sparks flying from the ends of her bolts. Elsa chuckled.

"It's a complement, kiddo." She grinned. "It's nice to have someone closer to my age around." Frankie relaxed a little at that statement. So Cousin Elsa approved of her. That was good.

"Well, shall we all go to dinner somewhere?" Lazarus asked. "I'm sure you must be hungry."

"Do you think Sibella would want to join you?" Viktoria asked sweetly. Frankie raised an eyebrow while Elsa shook her head.

"Naw. She wanted to spend this afternoon with her folks." She glanced longingly at the violet-haired vampire now chatting amiably with Draclaura. "I'm going over to her place tomorrow anyway, so there wasn't a point in meeting tonight as well."

"Why would Sibella want to join us?" Frankie asked, getting the distinct feeling that she missed an important detail in this conversation.

"Ah, well…" Lazarus fumbled with his words as the group walked towards their cars. He cast a worried glance at his daughter.

"Its okay, Da." Elsa said reassuringly before looking at her cousin. "You see, Frankie, Bella and I are going out. Together. A lot."

It took Frankie a full minute to process what she'd just been told, but when she finally did… "Oh." Her blue and green eyes went wide. "Okay. How long, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Not at all, and about a year now." Elsa answered. "But her parents don't know. We're telling them tomorrow night."

"Wow." Frankie exhaled. "It's like a real-life reality show!"

"Oh, this is only the sub-plot, Frankie." The raven-haired girl's eyes sparkled. "All the _real_ drama is going down at the de Nile residence. I guarantee it!"


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize profusely for the delay in getting this chapter posted. I caught a nasty case of writer's block halfway through writing this chapter, and it prevented me from finishing out this chapter and the updates of several other stories. **

**With that being said, I hope you enjoy the finished work. **

**The Ties that Bind**

**2. Family Togetherness**

"Do you _believe_ the nerve of that woman?" Nefera grumbled as the three de Nile sisters made their way to a waiting car. "Trying to pretend she's royalty! It's an outrage!"

"Dear sister, I do believe you've forgotten that she **is** royalty." Cleo pointed out. "The vampire Princess, future Countess of Transylvania and likely future head of the Council of Elders." Cleo, unlike her older sister, was under no illusions that she was a match for the violet-haired vampiress. Sure, she could cast a few spells, but nothing on par with what Sibella was capable of doing.

"Traitor!" Nefera hissed. "A true princess should hold the power of the council, not some common countess!"

"If you want to challenge her for the title, be my guest!" Cleo huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "I'll enjoy watching her turn you into a small hairless rodent again." Just like the last time the two had fought back when they were both still in high school.

As the oldest two girls continued to bicker, Tanis sighed dejectedly and climbed into the car. She wanted to speak up in Sibella's defense, but that would only turn Nefera's wrath on her, and she couldn't stand up to her sister on her own. She just wasn't strong enough yet to stand up for herself around Nefera. Cleo, maybe, but not Nefera.

"Honestly, Tanis, I don't know why you insist on trying to be friends with her." Nefera continued to rant, now turning her attention to her youngest sibling. "You're higher class than she is, darling. Even if you're only half as beautiful, you're still a born royal."

"Why only half as beautiful?" Tanis asked, not taking her eyes off the floor.

Nefera exhaled an exasperated sigh. It wasn't the first time she'd tried to explain this to the girl. "Because, dear sister, the Gods can only bestow so much beauty to one family. We've almost met our quota, so you get all the leftovers."

Cleo wasn't so sure of that assessment. Nefera had tried the same stunt with her at her own unwrapping, and she'd turned out just as pretty as her not-so-beloved sibling. If she was this adamant about making Tanis think she would be ugly, Nefera must feel threatened by the younger girl's potential beauty.

Granted, Cleo felt just a tiny bit worried as well. Tanis had mother's eyes, and Father always said that Mummy was the most beautiful woman in the known world. It wasn't pure flattery either. Queen Isadora de Nile was one of the most beautiful women in the world, according to modern magazines. Her exotic bone structure, combined with a golden tan, beautiful blue eyes, and long black hair, ensured that no matter what she wore, she looked stunning. To date, Cleo and Nefera both inherited their mother's figure and flawless skin, but not those deep blue eyes. Nefera got their father's gray-violet ones and Cleo's eyes were a brighter, more aquamarine shade of blue.

However, little Tanis had the same lapis lazuli eyes as their mother. Combine that with Father's impressive cheekbones (which showed through the bandages) and the possibility of Mummy's hair, and the girl would grow to be an unstoppable beauty. That was what Nefera was so afraid of.

"Nefera, wouldn't it behoove you to save your criticisms until after the ceremony?" Cleo asked in a bored tone. "Otherwise you'll make an asp of yourself. Again."

Her older sibling shot a cold glare her way. "I am the crown princess of Egypt, dear sister. I will say what I will, and it shall be law!"

"Only in Egypt." Cleo reminded her. "Daddy's word reigns at home. Dracula's word rules the council."

"Pfah!" Nefera huffed. "When the time comes to step up, I shall be head of the council! One way or another."

"I do hope you know what you're getting into." Tanis said softly. "Bella's really strong."

"Please. Give me the right curses, and she'll be only a memory." Nefera smiled wickedly, causing her younger siblings to sigh. It seemed that a simple unwrapping ceremony was about to become a clash of the titans.

* * *

><p>"Mother, you can't be serious!" Spectra hissed, blue eyes afire with anger. "I can't share a room with her!"<p>

"Rest assured, the feeling is mutual." Phantasma frowned, but managed to maintain her composure. "Must we co-habit the same sleeping chambers? I'd gladly take the couch."

"Oh, nonsense!" Mrs. Vondergeist stated. "There is a perfectly good futon in Spectra's room. Her bedroom is more than large enough for both of you."

"Maybe I'll sleep elsewhere, then?" Phantasma suggested. "I'm sure Elsa or Bella wouldn't mind."

"They will have to wait until tomorrow night." Mrs. Vondergeist replied. "They are spending their first night here with their families and you should do the same."

"You are **not** my family." Phantasma growled. "You are the woman who broke father's heart by sleeping around like some common harlot, and_ that_ is the result of your indiscretion!" She glared disdainfully at Spectra. "_I_ am sleeping on the couch. Spectra can have her room!"

"Good!" Spectra replied, stomping off to her room. "I'll sleep better without you in my airspace!"

Mrs. Vondergeist sighed, running a hand through her silvery hair. She could understand Phantasma being angry with her (she'd done enough to deserve it), but to lash out at Spectra? It made little sense to her. They were sisters, for pity's sake. Wasn't there any way to make them see each other as family instead of the enemy?

* * *

><p>Was homecoming supposed to be such a nerve-racking experience? Sibella, sprawled out on her bed but too worried to sleep, felt positive it shouldn't. Coming home meant seeing her parents and her kid sister again, watching Tanis step out into the world without her bandages for the first time, and being able to turn Nefera into a hairless mole rat again if she tried to cop an attitude again. Yes, coming home brought with it many benefits.<p>

Nevertheless, it also brought the daunting task of sleeping alone. Since she started dating Elsa, the two rarely slept apart. Only during final exams when they were both too exhausted to travel to the other's apartment (although to solve that problem, they would be getting their own living space once they returned to Portland). Most nights they just cuddled, snuggling contentedly next to each other before drifting off to sleep. She jealously wanted to do just that tonight, and knew Elsa probably felt the same way.

"Bella?" Laura spoke softly from the other side of the door. Their parents and Uncle Vlad had long since gone to bed. She thought Draculaura had done the same.

"It's open." She called back, hauling herself up into a sitting position. Apparently, neither of them could sleep tonight. May as well have a little sisterly chat to occupy time.

"I didn't get to talk to you much at dinner." The younger vampire said, sliding in to the room and shutting the chamber door softly behind her. "I wasn't sure you'd still be awake…"

"Please, Laura, this isn't the first all-nighter I've pulled, nor is it the worst." Sibella waved her younger sister's concerns away. "What did you want to talk about? Need tips on fear leading?" Granted, Sibella never signed up for fear leading. Grimwood didn't have need for a squad, being an all girls' school. However, she was an accomplished gymnast and a passable dancer. Not as talented as Phantasma, mind you, but she could do basic choreography with no trouble.

"Actually, no. Cleo's been doing a great job teaching us. She's actually starting to act more human-like now." The smaller girl twirled a lock of hair around her index finger nervously.

"Well, that's a relief. For a while there, I was concerned she'd turn out like Nefera." In her opinion, Ramses' decision to send his youngest daughter to Grimwood's instead of putting her in public school was the best one he'd ever made. It ensured Tanis never had to worry about living up to someone else's legacy. "But if it's not about that, then what did you want to talk about?"

"Well…why exactly is Elsa coming to dinner tomorrow night?" Laura's violet eyes squinted in confusion. "Or, rather, why is _just_ Elsa coming over? I thought you'd invite everyone. Am I overlooking something?"

Well, duh. "Lala… do you remember what I told you when you were confused about your feelings for Clawd?"

Laura frowned at the use of her nickname, but answered the question. "Love is always confusing. Most of the time the love of your life has been standing beside you the whole time without your ever realizing it." The younger girl was about to add something else, but then her eyes grew wide with realization. "Oh my goodness…" she gazed at her older sibling with newfound understanding "you and Elsa…_dating_?"

"Not so _loud_." Sibella hissed. "You'll wake up the whole castle!"

"But…but… you can't be dating her!" Laura squeaked. "You were dating that Tug kid from the school next door…"

"No, I was teasing that Tug kid. It was never anything romantic, flirty, or serious for either of us. We were in middle school." The green-eyed woman stated. "Laura, if I were dating a boy for the last two years, I wouldn't have hesitated to bring him home to meet Dad before now."

Laura sat in stunned silence. Her sister… her dear, beloved sister… was a lesbian? When did that happen, and how did she not notice?

"Please…say something. Anything." The violet-haired vixen implored her younger sibling. That look of shock on Laura's face—she didn't like it. Not one bit. It made it too hard to figure out what the normally expressive girl was thinking. For all she knew, her beloved sister now hated her and wanted her to leave.

"…Daddy's gonna flip." Laura whispered. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Well, yes, I knew _that_. But what about you?" She couldn't stand not knowing.

"I—well, I'm not mad." The smaller girl admitted. "Upset you didn't think to tell me before, but not really mad. It—it's still sinking in, you know?" Amethyst eyes gazed uncertainly into her sister's emerald ones. "I need some time to think."

"Would you be fine thinking over hot cocoa and a romance movie marathon?" Bella inquired. "You know, since neither of us can sleep right now…"

Draculaura's expression softened from confused to content. "Yes. I'd like that."

"Fangtastic! Although I think Renfield's gone to bed now, so we'll have to make the cocoa ourselves… you up for it?" Renfield had been their father's personal butler for centuries, and both girls had grown up with him ordering the other (lower-ranking) servants around. He wasn't half bad for a guy who ate cockroaches, Sibella thought.

"You bet!" Draculaura chirped. "Let's go now!"

"Just be quiet or you'll wake Dad or Uncle Vlad." No danger of waking mother; she slept like a corpse.

"Yes, miss bossy."

"Stay quiet." Bella chided her sister. She didn't mind being called bossy or micro-managing, for that manner. If she was going to lead the council when her father stepped down, she needed to be just a little controlling and manipulative to get the other vampire nobles to do what she and the council asked. A hard task, since most of the nobles despised werewolves.

With Winnie's father retired (as he had been the last few years), her oldest brother Pawl was to be the werewolf representative once he finished his college education in August. Until then, however, the interim director Lupe Maxwell ran things on the werewolf front and strongly disapproved of vampires in general. Never mind that the damn species war had been over for three decades, _he_ still thought there was an injustice to fight. How he weaseled his way into the upper echelon of were-beast society was beyond her.

Tonight, however, she intended to forget about all of the council drama. Now was the time for some long overdue sisterly bonding, and she intended to give that task her full attention.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own relating in any way to this story is the laptop I used to type it. **

**The Ties that Bind**

**3. Awkward Conversations**

The next morning, Winnie awoke with a stretch… and promptly bumped into one of her siblings in the process. Apparently, her return warranted a 'sleepover' of sorts for her sisters. Waking up in such close proximity to another person irked her a bit. After spending so much of the year in her own private bedroom, sharing a bedroom at home felt like a punishment. It wasn't that she didn't love her siblings. She just learned to value her own personal space and didn't like having to give it up one bit.

Moving softly to avoid waking Howleen, Winnie crept out of her bedroom and into the hallway, hoping to make it to the living room unnoticed.

"About time you woke up." The redhead sighed in defeat at the sound of Clawdeen's voice. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Didn't we talk about enough last night?" The younger wolf yawned, rubbing the sleep out of her golden eyes.

"Well, I couldn't bring this up in front of the other girls." Clawdeen pouted slightly. "Just get your tail over here so we can discuss this, please."

Winnie growled in annoyance. It was too early in the morning for talks, but she could see there was no way of avoiding it. With a resigned sigh, she shuffled into the living room and sat on the opposite end of the couch from her sister. "So…What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, you'll be a sophmore this year." The brunette wolf said, flicking a lock of wavy hair behind her shoulder. "I know 'Leen wants to transfer from her all-wolf school to go to Monster high, and I was wondering if you'd made up your mind on the issue yet."

"I'm not leaving Grimwood's." The younger female glared. "I'm not trading my friends for better athletic programs!"

"Win, you'll be fifteen this summer. It's an important time in your life, and…"

"No, it's not really. I have good grades, good friends, and I'm involved in healthy extra-curricular activities. I'm not going to leave Miss Grimwood's for Monster High!"

"Don't you want to be closer to your pack? Your family?"

Oh, so dear sister was going to play dirty. Fine by her! "The other girls there _are_ my pack! They're like sisters to me!"

"So much that you'd leave us again? Why don't you choose a closer school? The boys are worried with you so far away!"

"Then tell them to talk to me themselves, because I'm done talking with you!" The redheaded wolf growled, pouncing off the couch and stalking into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>When the house of Dracula hosted a formal 'family' dinner, everyone showed up at the table. Daddy Dracula, Momma Vannapira, Sibella, and Laura all four came down in their best clothes. Heck, even Uncle Vlad joined the festivities for occasions like this. Granted, Sibella thought, Uncle Vlad wasn't <em>technically <em>her uncle. He was Dad's cousin, making him her second-cousin. However, when she and Laura had been toddlers, they had no concept of what 'cousin' meant. He was as old as Daddy and spoiled them like Momma said uncles and aunts were wont to do, so they called him 'uncle' Vlad. Over the years, the title stuck, and now even Daddy told them to go find 'Uncle Vlad', not 'your cousin, Vlad' whenever something was going on.

And something was definitely going on tonight. The nice china had been brought out of its usual place (a high cabinet in the kitchen) and set at the table, along with their nicest blood-red napkins and silver-wear. Sibella had planned it all out down to the last detail. The family and Elsa would have dinner together, then move into the sitting room for coffee. While they were seated for coffee, she and Elsa would make their announcement and hope for the best. Laura (calling her Draculaura seemed ridiculous) already knew, but her parents and Uncle Vlad were still in the dark. Momma would be shocked, but would eventually (she hoped!) come around. But the two men in the family displayed a notoriously old-fashioned way of looking at the world. One or both of them might fly off the handle, if things weren't dealt with carefully.

"You look nice." Laura chirped from her perch on Sibella's bed. She was dressed in a black and pink outfit that reminded Bella of Alice in Wonderland. Nonetheless, it looked cute on the petite girl.

"I wasn't going for 'nice', sweetie. I'm going for 'seductively classy'." The green-eyed woman replied while meticulously placing rhinestone-studded bobby pins in her hair, partly for visual appeal and partly to keep it held securely in the braided bun she'd pulled it into. Rather than her usual purple color palette, the vampire princess chose a midnight blue halter dress with silver trim, sash, and embroidery—a gift from Daddy when he returned from a trip to Morocco. The red high heels had also been traded in for a pair of sparkly silver shoes.

"Mission accomplished." Laura responded. "I wish Daddy would let _me_ wear clothes like that."

"He will, eventually." The older girl soothed. "He won't have a choice, once you go off to college."

"Will you help me pick out my clothes when he does?" her sister inquired. "You know the ins and outs of this stuff better than I do."

A smile crossed Sibella's lips. "Of course. Speaking of which, we need to find dresses for Tanis's big unveiling party… Tanis asked Phanty and I to help her pick a dress. Why don't you and your friends tag along? Nefera will be too busy micromanaging her father's estate to bother with such trivialities."

"I think that's the best idea you've had all night."

"It will only work if we can keep Clawdeen from trying to pick out her sister's wardrobe for her." Sibella carefully put on a pair of simple silver drop earrings. "Winnie's a big girl now. She can choose her own clothes."

"But she seems so fashionably challenged!" Laura protested. "I'm sure just a_ little_ help…"

"Is completely unnecessary." Her sister finished her sentence for her. "Winnie is an **athlete**, and thus has her own sense of what is acceptable and what is not. She prefers things that allow her freedom of motion and happen to be either blue or red in color. Finding her a dress shouldn't be a problem."

The deep sound of a large bell ringing signaled their guest's arrival. Sibella glanced nervously at the clock on the wall. "Oh, bats, she's early!"

"Oh, stop being such a perfectionist. You look wonderful!" Laura insisted, practically pulling her older sister out of the room. "Now come on! You don't want to keep her waiting!" With a sound somewhere in between a resigned sigh and a surprised yelp, Sibella followed her younger sister down the hallway toward the great staircase that lead to the foyer.

If she were able to breathe, she was sure she would have forgotten how to do it just now. She stood still as a statue at the top of the stairs, emerald eyes taking in the sight of the woman standing at the bottom. She'd forgotten just how well the geeky ghoul cleaned up! Elsa's curly hair was pulled back into a half-ponytail, leaving a few black ringlets framing her face and showing off the white stripes at her temples. She wore a black cowl-neck blouse and a deep blue skirt with a silver belt in addition to the simple black pumps that covered her feet.

"Wow, Sibella." The onyx-haired woman breathed. "You look _amazing._"

A faint blush crept over the young vampire's face. "Thank you. You look rather amazing, yourself." She said as she descended the staircase. Her gaze quickly turned to her father, before she could further embarrass herself. "Is the meal ready?"

"Everything is in order, my dear." Dracula offered a fanged grin to his oldest daughter. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, we shall." The violet-haired vixen nodded an affirmative, glancing briefly to her girlfriend. Tonight promised to be a night to remember.

* * *

><p>"I sense there was a purpose to the fine meal we just finished?" Her mother, Vannapira, asked in a would-be innocent tone once the family and Elsa had moved into the sitting room. Sure, Vanna might act like a ditz, but that wasn't the case at all. Sibella knew her better than that. Mother only played stupid so the other vampires would underestimate her. Being the epitome of vampire beauty helped perpetuate the façade; with her perfectly-styled black hair, low-cut and skin-tight dresses, and completely natural curves, hardly anyone suspected her of being anything less than an airhead. It was an act she'd perfected over the course of her lifetime.<p>

And she was using that act tonight. "Yes." The younger vampiress answered, carefully setting her coffee cup down on its saucer. "Actually, there's something I feel I should tell all of you." Green eyes drifted their gaze down to the floor. She really didn't want to have this conversation, but she also couldn't keep her relationship with Elsa a secret for much longer.

"Then go on and say it." Uncle Vlad responded bluntly. He was as unnaturally imposing as ever tonight. White hair slicked back with enough hair gel to straighten even Winnie's persistent curls, bright red eyes standing in stark contrast to his pale skin and hair, and his black dress suit pressed to perfection. He would have been much more imposing if he hadn't been the runt of the family. Father towered over him.

"Yes, my dear. Please do explain." Her father stated, the corners of his mouth twitching into a smirk. Unlike his blood relative, Count Dracula was a tall, muscular man with dark hair and decidedly darker violet skin than anyone else in the family tree. A very regal and imposing ghoul that no-one wanted to meet in a dark alley.

"Well, it's like this." Sibella fumbled for her words, something she only did when nervous. "I'm dating someone; someone who's the love of my life. We both attend university and have plans to move in together next fall." Baby steps, she told herself.

"Oh, darling, that's wonderful!" Her mother clapped her hands in glee. Dracula cast a scrutinizing gaze toward her. "Although, I must say that the moving in is a shock. I thought your college didn't offer any co-ed dorms… but I still can't wait to meet this boy! Will he be coming for Tanis's unwrapping party?"

"Actually," Sibella did her best not to look flustered or embarrassed, "the person I'm dating is already in town." She felt Elsa's hand rest on top of her own, squeezing hers gently. "In fact, they're already in this room."

"That can't be." Uncle Vlad shook his head. "The only person here is Miss Frankenteen."

Silence reigned for a full ten seconds as everyone attempted to process Sibella's statement. Once they did…

"Elsa?" Her father said, his voice tense. "You're dating _Elsa?_"

"Have been for over a year now, Count." Elsa replied, bowing her head slightly in deference to the older ghoul.

"Is this true, Sibella?" Dracula glared at his eldest in a fashion that made her want to go hide in a dark hole somewhere.

"Yes, Daddy." She responded solemnly. "Elsa is my girlfriend."

"Dear Sibella, I don't know what brought on this phase, but I must insist that you stop this behavior." Uncle Vlad frowned. "It's most distasteful."

"It's not a phase!" Sibella hissed. "This isn't just some college experiment or teenaged rebellion! I've always liked girls; I realized that when I was fourteen."

Laura, to her credit, sat perfectly still and quiet through the whole conversation. Her impersonation of a deer caught in car headlights would have been comical at any other time, but went totally unnoticed tonight.

"It's a disgrace to this family and to the council." Uncle Vlad huffed, folding his arms across his chest in agitation.

"How is my decision to date Elsa any different from the practices of our Greek counterparts back during the Hellenistic period?" The violet-haired woman retorted. "Men during those days didn't have mistresses, they had other males! At least I'm faithful!"

"That was a different era." Her father frowned.

"Yes, an era characterized by chaos, blood, and greed." She replied. "We're in the modern age. An age where, if we so chose, the two of us could be legally married and adopt a child, in some states. Provided we don't just build one of our own." She glanced at her partner, who flashed her a mega-watt smile. Building children was something that the descendants of Frankenstein's monster excelled at doing.

"You must admit, they plead a good case and make a cute couple." Her mother sighed. "Times and cultures have changed since you boys were turned." She wasn't turned until the night after her wedding to the Count, a good twenty-five years after he became a vampire. That also happened to be the night she became pregnant with Sibella, which accounted for the girl's unusual green eyes. Most vampires had eye colors ranging from red to violet.

"Indeed." Elsa stated. "The war between vampires and werewolves, which started about the same time you were turned, ended thirty years ago. Heck, some werewolves and vampires are _dating_ now."

The Count's gaze softened, but never left his daughter. "I cannot discuss this matter any further." He said, standing up to leave the room.

"But—but Daddy…!" Sibella stuttered, trying to make him stay.

"I said I cannot discuss this right now!" Dracula repeated coldly. "I require time to think on this matter…alone." And with that, he was gone. Uncle Vlad followed soon after, leveling the young women with a cold stare.

Sibella sat where she was, frozen and on the verge of tears. She'd known that Daddy would make a scene out of this, but to hear him use such a cold tone hurt. He was rarely ever that angry or upset with either of his children.

"Oh, sweetie." Her mother stood up and walked to her side. "I'm sure he'll come around. He's just stuck in the past, and, well…this was a bit of a shock for him."

"What if he decides he can't stand me?" she whispered.

"He could never do such a thing." Vannapira soothed her daughter, wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulders. "He could never stop loving you, Sibella. Just give it time. He'll adjust, eventually."

Sibella desperately hoped her mother was right.

* * *

><p>"Now, everything must be <em>perfect<em> for the party." Nefera stated, looking over both the household servants and her two younger sisters (who, in her eyes, were no better than servants) with a steely gaze. "Not a thing out of place. Palace cleaned until the floors _shine_. Everyone in their _best_ attire. Such were Father's orders."

"We will do as Pharaoh requests." Manu, one of their father's most trusted servants, bowed his head respectfully to the Egyptian crown princess.

"Of course you will, now get to it!" Nefera ordered the servants, who scattered to the four corners of the palace at her command. With them gone, she turned to her sisters. "Now, this is going to be a very formal and public affair. Monster news crews will be vieing for a chance to snap a picture of the three of us together. For this sort of event, we will need new dresses, which I have taken the liberty of ordering…"

"Nefera?" Tanis said softly. "I…I kind of wanted to pick out my own dress. You and Cleo are welcome to help, but… Well, Mother let the two of you pick out your own gowns for your unwrappings. She promised I would have the same privilege, if I chose to exercise it."

Nefera frowned. She didn't like Tanis's request one bit. It sounded too close to rebellion for her taste. But, their mother _had_ explicitly stated that if Tanis wished, she could choose her own gown. "_She's spent her whole life in hand-me-downs from you and Cleo._" Mother said before she and Father left for Egypt. "_Her unwrapping gown is to be hers and hers alone. She's earned it."_ Of course, Nefera didn't really think her littlest sister had done any such thing, but since Mother ordered it, she couldn't argue. "Since Mother promised…" She sighed resignedly.

"Oh, _thank you_, Nefera!" The younger mummy beamed. "It's not that I don't trust your fashion taste—you always look beautiful. I just want something that's mine instead of yours for a change." Which was saying something, since most of what was in the young princess's wardrobe had once belonged to her eldest sister. Shoes, clothes, jewelry—anything that fell out of style was instantly given to one of her less-worthy siblings.

"Regrettably, I cannot take you myself." The older girl studied her nails. She really didn't want to be seen in public with her kid sister. Too embarrassing! "Perhaps Cleo can go with you?" It was more an order than a suggestion.

Fortunately, the middle de Nile daughter had no qualms about going shopping with her sister. At least Tanis would behave like a lady in public! Nefera always acted like a witch! "It will be my pleasure to take her, dear sister." Cleo nodded. "Come along, Tanis, let's go talk about what you want your beautiful new gown to look like." With that, Cleo turned and sauntered out of the room, Tanis trotting along beside her.

Nefera didn't like the idea of Cleo being alone with Tanis. After all, her dear younger sister cost her the awards due a Fearleading coach of her caliber at Monster Nationals. Who was to say that she wouldn't turn Tanis against her? However, she had more pressing matters to worry about. There were decorations to purchase and set up, menus and seating arrangements to plan out, and sundry other items on the party to do list that needed to be taken care of before Father and Mother arrived home tomorrow. Spying on her sisters would have to wait until after their return.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: On Operetta… a few of you have noticed she's not in this story, where she could have easily been included. That's my own fault. I didn't get caught up on the webisodes or check the series Wiki before I started writing this story, and by the time I actually got a good feel for her character, I already had two chapters typed up. For the purpose of the story as it stands now, she's with her parents for the summer, and they live a few towns away. She's also the Phantom's daughter through his second wife, making her Phanty's half-sister (edited the first chapter to go along with this slight plot change). The two get along well, aside from the occasional spat over music or fashion. She may or may not appear in a later chapter… I'll have to see how the story plot progresses before I make that call. **

**Also, I haven't seen "Fright On" and consequently events in that little mini-series are not canon to this story. I will say that Goria briefly attended Monster High while the vampire school was under construction (why is not important; just know that that's why the vampire students were at MH). **

**Any dialogue in quotation marks and italics is spoken in a foreign language (most likely Zombie) that has been translated for your convenience.**

**But enough about background information… on with the story!**

**The Ties that Bind**

**4. Ghoul's Day Out**

"I'll be going to the mall with the other girls today." Phantasma reminded her mother over breakfast that morning. Despite being barely eight in the morning, she was already fully dressed and made-up for the trip. "Tanis asked for mine and Sibella's help picking out a dress… Winnie's going too, and I'd be willing to bet Laura and Cleo somehow get dragged along on the trip." She shrugged her nearly-transparent shoulders. "I should be back sometime around 3 pm."

"Both of you will be." Mrs. Vondergiest corrected. "You're taking your sister with you."

"What?" Both girls exclaimed in unison.

"Mother, you can't be serious!" Spectra gasped.

"I am completely serious, dear Spectra. You also need a dress for the party, and it would do you well to socialize with other ghouls your age." Their mother replied. "I trust you two can refrain from injuring each other for a few hours?"

Phanty bit back a growl. As much as she wanted to fight about it, it was too early in the day for petty disputes. And, with any luck, she could pawn Spectra off on Cleo and Clawdeen for a portion of the mall-crawl. "Very well, but I leave in an hour." She turned to her sister. "We're on a bit of a schedule this morning. If you're not ready in time, you're on your own." Her pale eyes raked over her sister's form. Spectra was still in her pajamas.

"I will be." The younger girl replied coolly. "That's all the time in the world for me."

* * *

><p>"You two don't have to tag along, you know!" Winnie groaned. Despite her protests that she would be fine and Elsa had volunteered to drive her to the mall, Clawdeen and Howleen invited themselves along.<p>

"When else are we going to get dresses?" Clawdeen pointed out. "It'll be a sisters' day out!"

"It wasn't supposed to be!" The red-headed Wolf grumbled. "I'm not five any more, Deen. I don't need your help picking out my own clothes."

"I don't either, for that matter." Howleen replied. "But I never see you anymore, so I'm all for spending a day at the mall together."

"You'd see me more if you came to visit." Winnie pointed out. "That fancy werewolf school gives you plenty of breaks to take weekend vacations, and don't argue with me about it, 'cause I've seen the calendar."

"And why can't you visit us every once in a while?"

"I have, thank you very much. But I live several hours away! Makes it a lot more difficult to just take off for a couple of days."

"Why you chose that place over a school filled with other werewolves, I'll never understand." Howleen sighed.

"You don't have to, it was my choice." Winnie put in. "Besides, I know what males of our kind smell like after gym class. Not going anywhere near them if I can help it!"

That caused Clawdeen to chuckle. "Well, if you two are quite done with your debate, I'd like to get to the mall."

"Okay, okay, we're coming!" Howleen stated, following her older sister out into the garage. "Yeesh, why are you so bossy?"

"Because I'm your big sister and it's my sworn duty." The brunette teen deadpanned. "Now hurry up! I don't want to be late."

* * *

><p>All in all, the trip hadn't been too terrible, Frankie decided. Phantasma and Spectra weren't trying to kill each other. Cleo wasn't treating her sister or Ghoulia like her own personal servants. Even Clawdeen and Howleen were refraining from clawing each other's hair out. Most of the group had found their gowns already (hers was <em>totally<em> voltage!), and were breaking for lunch at the food court.

That's when things took a turn for the violent (and interesting).

Let it be first noted that Draculaura was not popular amongst her own kind. Other vampires looked down on the petite girl because of her vegan lifestyle and aversion to blood. This situation was further aggravated when she started dating Clawd Wolf. Now both vampires and werewolves turned their noses up at her and neither group was above teasing her in public or in front of her friends.

The ring leader was a girl named Goria, brief Monster High student originally from the all-vampires school across town. Being a tall, attractive Senior Fearleading Captain only added to the list of things she had to lord over Draculaura. And today, Goria fully intended to tease the sub-standard (in her opinion) vampire who dared call herself by Dracula's name in full view of everyone watching.

Too bad for her Sibella had other ideas.

"Mingling with animals again?" Goria's haughty voice carried on the air as she and her posse stopped to leer at the rather large group of assembled ghouls. She looked straight at Draculaura as she spoke, either not recognizing or not caring about Sibella's presence at the table. "How desperate can you get? Your own kind won't take you, so you resort to hanging out with wolves and zombies."

"At least the wolves and zombies know how to conduct themselves in a public setting." Sibella spoke up, emerald eyes locked onto Goria's ruby ones. "Royalty only associates with the best, which you, my dear, are not."

Goria bristled, narrowing her eyes at the other vampire. "How _dare_ you! Who do you think you are? We are the daughters of vampire nobility!"

Frankie froze up, unsure how to diffuse the situation. Politics and behavior in social settings weren't something she had shown a particular knack for. She glanced uncertainly to Elsa, who placed a calming hand on her cousin's shoulder and winked. Apparently the best thing to do in this situation was watch the show.

"And we are the daughters of the Vampire **King**, so you best watch your tone." Sibella flicked a few strands of hair over her shoulder, not bothering to look at the younger woman.

"Or you'll what? Bite us?" One of Goria's friends scoffed.

"I bet she's scared of blood like her pathetic sister!" Another vampire stage-whispered as Goria began to look slightly nervous.

"You ignorant peasants. Royalty does not get their hands bloodied in public." Cleo waved. Royalty was held to a much higher standard, one she had been trained her whole life to live up to (or so the brunette had always told Frankie).

"But we do make public examples out of petty nobles like you." Sibella smiled coyly. She'd done it to Nefera on more than one occasion, and those were well remembered by the de Nile girls and anyone else fortunate enough to have witnessed it.

"Bella, you don't have to do this!" Draculaura hissed into her sister's ear.

"Aw. Is Little Laura scared of a bitch fight?" Goria taunted with a confidence she really ought to have kept to herself. "How pathetic!"

"Just remember, Goria, that you asked for this." Sibella stated calmly, lifting up her right hand. "_Metastiasis felis temporarum_." A cloud of lavender smoke curled from the Vampire Princess's outstretched pointer finger, wrapping itself around Goria. In a flash and a bang, a rather perturbed black cat with ruby-red eyes stood in Goria's place.

Frankie's eyes grew wide. Sure, she'd heard stories from Elsa, but she'd never actually _seen_ anyone spelled into an animal before! It was actually kinda cool, when she thought about it…

"Goria!" One of Goria's gang shrieked. "Omigods, Goria!" Goria-cat meowed in annoyance. "You! Change her back right now!" The scared girl pointed an accusatory finger at Sibella. The violet-haired vampiress shrugged.

"No. The spell will wear off in about two hours." She looked at the group. "And during that time I suggest all of you think about your behavior and what you can do to improve it so this will not happen again. Understood?" A perfectly-manicured amethyst eyebrow raised as the woman inquired of the gathered girls.

The one who had been doing all the screaming looked like she was about to protest, but one of her friends covered her mouth while the other responded. "Yes. We understand. Come on, ladies, let's get out of here." Goria spared a hiss at Sibella, who completely ignored her.

"Did that really just happen?" Clawdeen asked, pointing at the retreating group of vampires.

"Yes, yes it did." Phantasma answered, blinking her pale eyes in astonishment. "Was that really necessary?"

"She needed to be put in her place." Sibella inspected her nails. "Well, that and she was annoying the hell out of me."

"I can fight my own battles." Laura muttered, glaring at her older sibling.

"Obviously not, or she wouldn't have been picking on you in the first place." Sibella pointed out. "Why haven't you turned her into a mole rat yet? I _know_ I taught you that spell, and she was in sore need of a transfiguration."

"What would that solve?" Spectra asked. "It'll just make her angrier, right?"

"Angry, yes, but she would know her place." Cleo pointed out. "Nefera hates Sibella, but she's not stupid enough to deride her in public…again. Monster society in the uppermost strata is all about hierarchy, and as it stands now, she's at the tippy top."

"And Goria is several levels down from any of us." Phantasma put in. "She's a noble, not a member of the ruling council or their families."

"Or the best friend of one, like Ghoulia." Elsa added. The zombie girl moaned her agreement.

"Were-beasts tend to be easier to deal with than vampires, though." Sibella noted off-handedly. "Pack dynamics are more ingrained. They posture, they fight, and after top dog is decided, they acknowledge it and usually act respectful toward each other. Vampires tend to be backstabbers." She pouted her ruby red lips. "Not at all fun to deal with."

"I've noticed." Howleen frowned.

"Bella?" Tanis asked, eyes wide with curiosity. "Since you turned her into a cat, does that mean Cleo can do it too?"

Cleo sat up a little straighter. "I would have done it before now, but the Headless Headmistress wanted me to be nice to Goria when she was at our school. However, if that brat tries anything stupid like that in public again, I have something extra slimy in store for her."

"Slimy certainly would be a good fit for her…" Clawdeen thought out loud as Winnie stole one of her French fries.

"As long as you tape it and post it on the school website, I'm cool with it." Howleen stated. Goria was far from one of her favorite people, and seeing her turned into something gross and slimy would be even better than the totally awesome cat-trick Sibella just pulled.

"Oh, I think that can be arranged." Spectra smiled softly. "Right, Ghoulia?"

"_Of course_." The blue-haired girl moaned in her native language. She then decided it was time for a change of conversation topic and looked to Tanis. "_What store do you want to go to next_?"

"I…well, there's this adorable little boutique that just opened on the floor below us…" The quiet girl stuttered, not used to the attention from one of Cleo's friends.

"Oooh, that place!" Frankie piped up. "The dresses they have in there are adorable! I'm sure we'll find you something there! Oh, and that designer accessory store next door has the most voltage shoes…"

"Slow down, cousin, you're sparking." Elsa chided her relative. Frankie looked down at her lap, feeling more than a little embarrassed. "No need to be so down about it, though. I used to do the same thing."

"Well, enough talk about the past. I'm ready to start shopping again." Phanty said, rising up from her seat. "I think we were all done eating anyway."

"Pretty much, yeah." Laura sighed. She'd given up picking at her salad once Goria showed up. With a sigh, she tossed the half-eaten mass of vegetables into the nearest trashcan. "Let's go see this dress boutique."


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm taking a couple of liberties with the number of pups in the Wolf family, but you all knew I was going to do that anyway when Winnie was added, didn't you?  
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**Ties That Bind**

**5. Chit-Chat**

Operetta downright _hated_ having to be the middle-man in this family.

A brief summary of her family history read like a bad soap opera. Her father, the Phantom, had once been married to a beautiful ghost named Imogen. They had a daughter, Phantasma, two years later and to the casual observer, everything appeared normal. But at the time, Daddy had been in the middle of an intense recording/touring (lip-synching to a previously recorded track so his audiences would not be put under the spell of his voice) schedule and was away from home a lot. When Phantasma was two years old, Daddy returned home for a surprise visit, only to find his wife in bed with another monster. Couple's counseling turned out to be a colossal failure, and the pair divorced within one year's time. Imogen and her new lover continued to cause a stir at the Monster High-Society galas for another few years before Mr. Vondergeist finally decided to marry her. Spectra was born shortly thereafter.

Daddy had been slower to recover. The abrupt nature of the divorce had apparently scared him away from the dating scene…until one of his backup singers managed to slip past his emotional barriers without him ever realizing it. It took him exactly three months after the first date to propose (verses the several years it took him to woo Imogen) and the wedding didn't take as long to plan as some suspected it might. Operetta joined the rather dysfunctional family a year and a half after her parents got married.

So, yes, Phantasma had every right to be mad at her mother. However, playing the referee during hers and Spectra's screaming matches was not something the redhead looked forward to.

"Phanty, you're being a touch melodramatic about this." The sixteen year old flipped a carefully styled red curl over her shoulder as she spoke to her older half-sister over the phone. She was currently on the road with their father, tagging along for his latest nationwide tour. "Why do you hate _her_ so much? It's not her fault your mother is a whore."

"Why are you taking _her_ side?" Phantasma whined.

"I ain't on anyone's side!" Operetta hissed. "It's called being logical, Phan. Your Momma turned out to be a gold-digging tramp. I get that. But what in tarnation has Spectra ever done to you personally? And no, you can't use her dad as a reason."

"She abandoned us for her!" Ah, so that was the heart of the matter, so to speak. "Mother walked out on us for Spectra!"

"Technically, she only abandoned Dad for Mr. Vondergeist." Operetta reminded her. The custody battle had been a particularly vicious one, from what she information could gather about it. "She wanted to keep you."

"Funny way she had of showing it." Phantasma scoffed. It was only in the last few years that the Vondergeists had stopped making their own tours of the monster world's high society galas and events, finally deciding to purchase a mansion and stay put when Spectra started her freshman year at Monster High.

Deciding that this particular conversation topic was destined to give her a migraine unless she changed it, the redheaded ghoul decided to stop beating the proverbial dead horse. "So, I heard from Dad that you girls invited a couple of surprise guests to Tanis's big party." She was surprised Ramses would allow such creatures within twenty feet of his home, let alone invite them as guests of honor to one of his daughter's biggest celebrations…

"You bet!" The pale ghoul's voice immediately perked up. "Oh, I wish you could be back in Salem for the party! You would just love Coach Shaggy!"

"How in the world a _Normie_ got a name like that, I will never understand." The younger phantom inspected her red-tipped fingernails.

"Well, his hair was pretty long and shaggy when he taught us." Phanty's unnaturally high-pitched giggle sounded over the phone. "And his pet dogs went with him everywhere."

"That explains why Clawdeen was so agitated about her sister wanting a new pet." Operetta realized, recalling that particular rant from just before school let out for the summer. "Let me guess, Great Danes?"

"Of course. A full grown one would probably dwarf Winnie, but she doesn't care. She wants a dog and seems to think she can talk her parents into letting her get a puppy." Phantasma probably shrugged in response, but her more solid sister couldn't see that through the phone line. "Oh, and Tanis wanted me to ask if you wanted a kitten. Apparently one of their cats just had a litter and they need to give some away."

"No thanks, Phanty. Not much of a cat person, myself."

"Well, it was worth a try." The older ghoul sighed. "If you can think of any of your classmates that might want a cat, tell Cleo."

"I'm fairly sure Cleo can deal with that herself." The lavender-skinned teen smirked. "You take care, now. Act like a proper lady at this shindig."

"At least that's one thing I can do better than Nefera." Phantasma giggled.

* * *

><p>"You can't be serious!" Clawdeen exclaimed, looking through narrowed yellow eyes at her parents. The Wolf family had paused for lunch when their parents decided to give their children some not-entirely-unexpected news.<p>

"Clawdeen, we have thought this through." Her mother chided. "Your father and I both feel that Winnie is perfectly capable of taking care of a puppy."

"Then let her get a Chihuaha or one of those other little purse dogs!" Clawdeen grumbled. "Something that big would eat poor Crescent in one bite!"

"No, it will not!" Winnie growled right back at her brunette sister. "If we get a puppy, it will grow up thinking your cat is 'friend', not 'food'."

"But a Great Dane?" Howleen scrunched up her nose. "It'll be as big as Clawd!"

"Cool. Maybe I can teach it to play Casketball?" Clawd mused.

"Look, kids, it may mean some slight changes around here, but your brothers and sisters went through the same thing whenever one of the rest of you got a pet, so I expect you not to complain whenever Winnie brings home her new puppy." Papa Wolf looked all of his pups in the eyes. "Am I clear?"

"Yes, Papa." The pack of younger werewolves chorused.

"So…where are you gonna get this dog from, anyway?" Howie, one of the older triplets, asked his orange-haired sister.

"Coach Shaggy is gonna bring me one when he and Scooby come for Tanis's big unwrapping." Winnie grinned, fangs glistening in the light of the kitchen.

"Wasn't Shaggy the _Normie_ gym coach?" Willis, one of Winnie's littermates, made a face.

"Behave!" Their father barked. "Shaggy is a friend to our kind and will be welcome in our home."

"Wait, so we have to put up with **two** dogs in our house?" Clawdeen groaned.

"Not one more word!" Their mother growled in a warning tone. "They can't stay with the other girls' families, since they are all 'undead' monsters and therefore don't have the same type of diet as a living one. Shaggy and Scooby will stay with us. End of discussion."

* * *

><p>"Oh, Tanis, they're so precious!" The promise of adorably tiny balls of meowing fluff had prompted Draculaura to drag her sister out of the castle and over to the De Nile residence that afternoon. Since Father still wasn't speaking to her and Elsa promised to show up with Frankie shortly thereafter, Sibella consented to this trip across the neighborhood. Draculaura was currently fawning over a litter of four kittens. The mother was an average-sized gray and white tabby named Ufa, but the three week old fluff-balls crawling around the cat-bed came in a variety of colors.<p>

"I already named them, too!" the young princess beamed, blue eyes dancing as she pointed to each of the kittens. "Those two matching gray and white ones—they're Mungo-Jerry and Rumple-Teeser, 'cuz it's so hard to tell them apart. Teeser's the girl. The little orange one with the dark brown stripes is Rum-Tum-Tugger, and the black one is the magical Mr. Mistoflees!"

"Who let you watch _Cats_?" Sibella sighed, looking at her former classmate.

"I think it's cute." Laura cooed, carefully scooping up one of the gray and white ones.

"Good, because they need new homes." Cleo harrumphed. "I realize cats are sacred, but feeding them all costs a small fortune. At least two of those kittens have got to go once they get old enough."

"If I wasn't so sure they'd try to eat the Glitterati, I would take one." Frankie sighed, just knowing that a curious kitten would try to eat her beloved white glitter-coated mice.

"You already have the Glitterati and Watzit; I don't think uncle Vik is gonna let you get another pet." Elsa remarked. "Maybe when Bella and I get that apartment thing sorted out, we can take one of them."

"Are you serious?" Sibella blinked incredulously at her girlfriend. "You want to get a cat?"

"You were the one who brought up the 'let's get a pet' topic a couple weeks ago." The dark-haired patchwork monster shrugged.

"Yes, but I thought we would wait until _after_ we got moved into your apartment." The violet-haired vampire sighed. "Where are we going to keep it until we get that business sorted out?"

"It can stay with me, of course. My parents won't mind him running around the place until we get everything moved into my apartment." Elsa took her lover's lavender hand in her own mint green one. "Since half of your stuff is _already_ at my place, it shouldn't take too long."

"…damn you and your logic." The green-eyed woman murmured.

"Which kitty are you two gonna pick?" Tanis asked eagerly. Sibella pursed her lips, looking over the litter of kittens thoughtfully.

"Well…I was always partial to black cats…"

"Then Mr. Mistoflees it is." Elsa smiled warmly as Tanis cheered.

"Yay!" The little mummy's bright blue eyes sparkled with glee. "You're gonna love him! Cats are great foot-warmers!"

"Aww, look, he has green eyes like yours 'Bella." Elsa gently picked up the little black cat. He had sleek, short fur and bright green eyes.

"I didn't know you two were…together." Cleo chose her words carefully.

"We've been dating for a while, but we only made an official announcement two days ago." Elsa sighed. "Drac wasn't happy."

"No, I would imagine not." Cleo sighed. "My father doesn't even approve of Deuce. If he thought I was seeing another female…" Ra, that would not be a pretty conversation.

"Mom thinks he'll come around to the idea if we just give him space." Draculaura spoke up, then looked curiously at Cleo. "And why doesn't he like Deuce? He's from a good family."

"Yes, but he's not _royal_ enough, apparently." The turquoise-eyed teenager huffed. "But I honestly don't know who else he expects me to find at our school!"

"Does Momma know Daddy told you that?" Tanis asked.

"Why would it matter?" Cleo lamented. "It was probably Nefera's coaxing that started this mess; she probably has them **both** convinced that Deuce is no good."

"Queen Isidora DeNile? Convinced by idle gossip?" Sibella scoffed. While not quite as loud and opinionated as her spouse, Isidora was far from being some shy wallflower. "If she were **that** easily swayed in her opinions, Tanis would never have been sent to Grimwood's."

"Why did she want to send Tanis to another school?" Frankie asked, confusion apparent in eyes. "Why were _any_ of you sent to Grimwoods."

"Curriculum, for one thing." Elsa explained. "The course work is a lot more intense than at Monster High. In addition to history and mad science, we learn things like etiquette and music that a public school can't always teach. Second, it's an all-girls school so, in theory, we don't get distracted by our hormones while we're trying to learn. And lastly, since it's a smaller student base, there is more one on one interaction between the students and the teachers, which translates to a better learning environment."

"Plus, Miss Grimwood is one of the most learned and powerful witches in monsterdom." Sibella added. "If you want to learn magic, that's the place to go."

"Mother and Miss Grimwood are old friends." Cleo remarked. "I think she always wanted to send one of us there, but Nefera didn't want to go anywhere else and Father didn't think I needed to go to a fancy finishing school to learn how to be a lady. She _finally_ managed to convince him when Tanis started grade school."

"The girls there are nicer than the ones at my first school." The smaller ghoul looked down at her bandaged feet.

"At any rate, maybe you should talk to your mom about the whole Deuce thing?" Frankie looked at the Fearleading captain. "If she could convince Ramses to send Tanis away for school, I'm sure she could get him to stop listening to Nefera."

"How does he not realize Nefera's so out of control?" Elsa wondered. "She's gotten fired from the last three jobs she was booked for because of her attitude and now no agency will take her. Her team was disqualified at Monster Nationals because she was caught _on film_ cheating. How much more damage does she have to do before he realizes she hasn't grown up at all?"

"Hopefully not too much more." Draculaura looked down at the kittens guiltily. "I hope you're not mad, Cleo, but…well, Ghoulia and I talked to your mom after the party thing. We told her everything that happened."

"You did what?!" The second princess of Egypt hissed.

"We didn't want Nefera to get you into any more trouble!" The pacifistic vampire gulped.

"That was a private family matter! You had no business getting involved!"

"We just wanted to help."

"Well, you didn't! Once she learns who told on her, Nefera will think _I_ put you two up to it!"

"What does her opinion matter, in the grand scheme of things?" Elsa shrugged in a somewhat careless fashion, attracting Cleo's attention. "You're in charge of your own life, not your sister."

"Tell that to Daddy." The aqua-eyed princess grumbled.

"Yes, you should." Draculaura looked up at her friend. "I don't let my dad tell me exactly how to live my life. I wouldn't be a vegan if I did. I'm sure if you explain everything, your parents will understand."

"If you say so…" Uncertainty dominated Cleo's usually confident voice. She still wasn't sure that she wouldn't be disowned for speaking out against the crowned princess. However, her position in the royal family didn't matter half as much to her as being able to decide her own destiny. It might not make her a princess for very much longer, but if it meant that she could keep dating Deuce…

Aquamarine eyes hardened in resolution. Father was going to get an earful tomorrow, and that was a promise.

* * *

><p>Moving from the zombie-like state of decay to near human beauty during the unwrapping ceremony required a lot of magic, bound forever to its owner in the form of a precious stone embedded in their flesh. Everyone in the family received a gem as unique as they were, all reflecting the innate personality traits of their owners. The ruby—colored like fresh blood and glistening with strength and power—was just the sort of manly gem that Ramses preferred. Isidora's grace, fairness, and intuition earned her a deep natural sapphire. Cleo's bold personality and kind (though well-hidden) heart fit the aquamarine on her right cheek to perfection.<p>

But Nefera? Nefera got stuck with a topaz. Topaz—a man's gemstone! Sure, it was her birthstone, but it was just so…lack-luster. Common. Inferior. The only good thing about that little orangey-yellow chunk of crystalline atoms was its color: gold.

That said, the crown princess of Egypt was thoroughly convinced that little Tanis's stone was bound to be either common or masculine, preferably a combination of the two. "The poor dear." She sighed, inspecting her fingernails as the servants put up streamers. Though the big party didn't start until tomorrow, she wanted to have all the decorations out tonight. Although things would go much faster if her inferior sisters hadn't chosen to call their friends over to play with Ufa's latest litter of kittens. "Garnets and Emeralds—that's all that's left for her. Sure, Rose Quartz is pretty and pink, but it's a peasant's jewel. And peridot?" She faked a shudder. "Not worthy a member of this family, even one so far down the line of succession."

"What of amethysts? Or diamonds?" One slave inquired. Nefera snorted.

"Pah! Diamonds are only befitting a crowned princess! If _I_ did not receive a diamond, my inferior sibling surely will not!" She chose to overlook the amethyst. Though it was a pretty and feminine stone, a certain amount of mystic power came with it. Only a powerful sorceress could get one of those, and little Tanis was certainly not a sorceress…that she knew of.

"As you say, Mistress." The slave bowed as Queen Isidora glided into the room.

Isidora De Nile was a very classic sort of beauty. Everything about her seemed both timeless and perfectly proportioned: the perfect balance of softness and strength. Her shining ebony hair was pulled into an elegant braided knot and her lapis-lazuli blue eyes sparkled with hidden power. Not yet finding time to change clothes since her arrival, she was still dressed in a sharp navy business suit. "Whatever would cause you to believe that, Nefera?"

Nefera felt her cheeks heat up. Mother wasn't supposed to hear _that_! "She's not far enough up the line of succession." The eldest De Nile daughter sniffed, trying to maintain her confidence levels.

"Yes, about that." The queen of Egypt's gaze hardened. "Anymore of your recent behavior, and you will no longer be first in line."

"What behavior?" Nefera attempted to feign ignorance but a fearful hitch in her voice gave her away.

"Do not_ lie_ to me!" Her mother ordered, causing the younger mummy to flinch. "Ghoulia and Draculaura made sure to tell me about all the stunts you pulled! Cheating? _Lying_ to save your own hide and get your younger sister in trouble?"

"But that last party _was_ hers! They threw it for her!"

"A surprise party, despite the damage done, is something your father and I can overlook." The Queen stated. "Your actions, however, we will not. As first in line, your actions should always be above reproach! If I hear so much as a _whisper_ from the servants that you have been treating your baby sister as harshly as you have Cleo, the title of Crown Princess will pass to Cleo."

"No! You can't!" the younger woman protested, murky violet eyes turning a stormy gray as her wrath was kindled. "The title is **mine**! _I_ was born to be the next queen, not her!"

"Your father and I will be judges of that!" Isadora remarked, silencing Nefera and rendering her afraid to speak up. "Continue as you were." Turning on her heels, she sauntered out of the room, leaving her daughter to consider what her next move might be.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: ****I am so sorry this took so long to post, guys. I tried to keep it all one chapter, but it got way too long and had to be split up. It's still a whopping 12 pages long, but hopefully the length will make up for the delay in getting this posted. **

**Also, I would like to make a comment to my wonderful anon reviewers. I love hearing your feedback, but if you are going to ask me a question, please set up an account and either leave a review using it or PM me. I had a rather interesting question from a reviewer who probably didn't read the A/N I posted for chapter 4. I would have explained things to them, but since this review was left anonymously, I have no way of contacting them personally in order to do so. If you have questions/suggestions, sign in and shoot me a PM and we'll talk about it.**

**But enough about me. On with the story! **

**Ties That Bind**

**6. Unwrapping the Truth  
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The Wolf family waited in the living room the following morning, a living room that, for once, was cleared of clutter and clothes. The house had gotten a top-to-bottom cleaning under Mrs. Wolf's watchful eyes and ears, and the front lawn had been mowed down enough to look presentable. Now all they had to do was to wait for their guests to arrive.

As the sound of a motor drew closer, Winnie perked up and dashed to the window. Golden yellow eyes peeked out from between the blinds as a fanged smile formed on her face. It wasn't just a neighbor's car; it was Coach Shaggy's red van! Without a second thought, the young werewolf bolted through the front door and raced up the sidewalk.

Norville "Shaggy" Rogers smiled broadly as the teenager tackled him. He hadn't changed much over the last few years. There were a few more lines on his face tan there had been ten years ago, but he still dressed in loose clothes and hadn't started to go bald or grey yet. "Hey, kid. Long time, no see."

"You made it! You made it!" The furry girl bounced up and down excitedly. "Where's Scooby?"

"Rinnie!" She had no sooner spoken than a massive brown Great Dane with black spots along his back bounded out of the van and knocked her to the ground. He excitedly licked her face, causing the young werewolf to giggle. She scratched between his ears affectionately.

"Hello to you too, Scooby Doo."

"Like, Scoob, don't pin her down!" Shaggy scolded the dog. "Let her get up so she can look at her present, man."

Golden eyes sparkled with happiness as her parents and siblings came out on the front lawn to join her. "You brought it with you?" She asked.

"Yeah. Swung by to get it on the way up here." The formerly cursed human grinned at her before looking to the rest of her family. "I haven't seen you in a while." He commented to her father.

"It has been a long time, yes." Mr. Wolf offered a toothy grin. "I take it you have been well?"

"Aside from running from fake monsters every few weeks, Scoob and I are fine." The beatnik shrugged. "Gee, Winnie, you have a lot of siblings."

"Don't I know it." The young wolf grumbled, earning a chuckle from her father.

"I suppose by your standards our family is rather large." Mrs. Wolf admitted.

"Mom, our family is large by werewolf standards." Clawd pointed out. "Not that it's a bad thing, but it is true."

"The boy is right." Mr. Wolf nodded. "Shaggy, allow me to introduce my other children: Clawd, Clawdeen, Howlmilton, Howldon, Howlston, Howleena, Clawnor, Wallace, and Willis." A chorus of greetings followed the introduction.

"Like, don't take it personal if I get names mixed up." Shaggy held his hands up in surrender. "I'm Shaggy, and this is my best-buddy, Scooby-Doo."

"Rello!" Scooby puffed his chest out and stood in a regal pose, allowing Winnie to crawl out from under him.

"I hate to be rude, but you did say you brought it with you…" Winnie looked hopefully up at her former gym teacher.

"Oh! Yeah, he's in the car." Shaggy grinned, casually walking to the sliding door and opening it. A young brindle Great Dane puppy bounded out, looking around at all the gathered people. He had a blue collar and leash, which Shaggy deftly grabbed to keep the pup from running off. "One Great Dane puppy, as requested."

"He's so cute!" Winnie squealed, bounding over to her new pet. "Hi there." The puppy barked happily as she got close, tail wagging back and forth like a propeller.

"What're you gonna call him?" Howlmilton (better known to his friends as "Rocks") asked her, inching closer to the human stranger and the two dogs.

A bright smile crept over Winnie's lips. "I have the perfect name: Shaggy-Doo!"

Shaggy's eyes grew wide with surprise. He knew that she'd wanted a Dane because of him and Scooby, but he didn't think she'd _name_ the dog after them. It was an honor he hadn't expected. "I think it's a great name, kid. And he's house-trained, so all you need to worry about is stopping him from chewing on stuff." Scooby hadn't been too bad, but Scrappy chewed up _everything_.

"If that thing wrecks my shoes, you're buying me the replacements." Clawdeen growled at her younger sibling.

"Put your shoes in your closet and he won't mess with them." The orange-haired teen remarked flatly.

"Why don't we go inside so Mr. Shaggy can put away his things and get settled in?" Mrs. Wolf suggested. "We still have a lot of things to do before the party tonight."

"Quite right, dear." Mr. Wolf agreed. "Come on, everybody, back into the house!"

* * *

><p>Sibella toyed with the pendant around her neck (her hair was twisted into an elaborate bun, allowing no free strands to loop around her fingers), trying as best she could to maintain her composure. Rather than ride with her family to the party, Elsa was coming to pick her up. She had no idea what her girlfriend was wearing, as the taller ghoul had sent her off to keep Winnie and Clawdeen from clawing each other to bits while Elsa and Frankie did some long-overdue bonding. However, at Elsa's assurance that her wardrobe for the evening was totally clash-proof, Sibella donned a low-cut violet strapless gown with dark amethyst beaded designs in swirling floral patterns from the bodice to the hem of the fishtail skirt. It was a fair bit flashier than any of her other dresses (having beaded leaves holding your dress over your breasts was certainly daring by most standards), but compared to some of the outfits her mother had donned over the years it looked tame.<p>

Normally, it would be considered overly flashy to wear a formal to a party with friends. An Unwrapping Ceremony was more than just any small slumber party, however, and every invited ghoul put on their fanciest clothes for the event. Father was in an elegant black suit with his silk-lined cape trailing behind him. Mother exchanged her usual black dress for a plunging red silk halter dress with a slit up the left leg. Silver and deeper red detailing accented both the top of the slit and the bodice, just under the Countess's breasts. The full-skirted gown that Laura wore reminded Sibella of something from a Disney Princess movie. It was black with pale pink trim along the square neck and where the skirt and bodice connected, and pink tulle overlay on the skirt. The short-sleeved dress worked for the shorter girl, but no way in hell was _she_ going to be see running around in something like that. She was the mistress of the night, not a fairytale princess.

"Ah, there she is." Vanapira smiled as the sound of a car engine approached. "Come along, or we'll be late." She chided the group, herding them out the front doors and toward the limousine Renfield was driving.

Sibella blinked in shock as she looked at Elsa. The tall ghoul chose to put a white long-sleeved button-up shirt under a black strapless corset dress that had a very Victorian-era feel to it. She couldn't see her lover's feet through the fabric of the floor-length gown, but Sibella strongly suspected that Elsa had chosen to wear flat shoes or period-appropriate boots tonight. A simple yet elegant cameo necklace peeked out from under the collar of the shirt, held in place by a black ribbon. Somehow, the curly-haired woman managed to get her black and white striped hair into a simple bun, with a few carefully placed ringlets falling down her face and neck.

"Wow." Elsa exhaled, getting out of her car and walking around to the passenger side door. "Bella, you look like a goddess tonight."

The vampire felt a faint blush rising in her lavender cheeks. "You look quite fetching yourself."

"Thanks again for letting me chauffer her there, Mrs. Dracula." Elsa bowed her head respectfully toward Vanapira, who smiled warmly.

"No thanks needed, Elsa." There was a positively devious gleam in the older woman's eyes. "I thought you two might want to make a dramatic entrance." Did her mother just wink at her girlfriend? Sibella closed her eyes and sighed. Yes, she probably did. Mother did so love causing a stir at social events, and this was sure to cause the biggest outburst in decades. Of course she would want in on it. "Have fun, but not too much fun, okay sweetie?"

Her cheeks turned a rather deep shade of magenta. "Of course, Mother." It's not like they had a hotel room to go back to…unless Elsa had booked one… oh dear.

"Shall we?" Sibella looked over at her girlfriend, who was extending her hand out toward her.

"Yes, I believe we shall." She smiled, allowing the taller ghoul to escort her to the car and open the door for her. What a gentlewoman. She wasn't sure how tonight would turn out, but of one thing she was absolutely certain: Nefera would have kittens the moment she and Elsa entered arm-in-arm.

* * *

><p>The unwrapping ceremony itself was a closed-door affair. Only the young mummy being unwrapped, her parents, and the priests were allowed in the chamber. This left Cleo and Nefera out in the main hallway of their home, greeting guests and ensuring that the party went smoothly.<p>

Secretly, Nefera hated having to make nice with the dignitaries and their families. She was the superior one in the room, after all. They should stand in worshipful reverence of her glory and beauty! Her blue-striped ebony hair had been corralled into a high braided bun, a golden circlet wrapping around the brow of her head. She donned her newest gown—a gold sleeveless number with a plunging v-neckline and geometric folds and patterns woven into the silky fabric. A heavy gold triangle-shaped necklace with tiny topaz stones set in it glistened across her chest and accentuated her more…feminine attributes. She looked and felt every bit a queen. How was that infernally annoying vampire going to top this?

Cleo narrowed her ultramarine eyes at her older sibling, but kept her head from turning toward Nefera. She made a mental note to allow Spectra's older sister to do her hair every time they had a social function from now on. The side-bun with a blue and gold floral clip was a thing of beauty and perfectly matched her blue strapless gown. She might not feel quite like royalty, but she certainly felt more like a woman in this get-up and that was an important thing to the apparent teenager.

Speaking of Spectra, the incorporeal ghoul was lurking in the shadows of the great hallway, taking photos of all the guests as they arrived as per the request of the school paper. This was the biggest event of the summer holiday and there would be a lengthy article about it both on the school scarebook page and in the paper. Spectra definitely dressed to the nines for this event, however, and had even permitted her half-sister to style her violet hair into loose curls secured with a small silver clip. Her sleeveless dress was a pale shade of lavender with a full floor-length skirt, high neckline, and a matching silk ribbon tied around her waist. A simple but elegant jeweled silver collar completed the look for the ethereal spectre. Cleo had been moderately surprised that the gown the other girl chose was so modest, but gossip column aside, Spectra battled with shyness and wouldn't want to put her body on display like she and Clawdeen felt so comfortable doing.

As Count Dracula, Countess Vanapira, and Draculaura entered, Cleo bowed respectfully while silently wondering where the eldest daughter had gone off to.

"Welcome to our home, my Lord." Nefera recited, inwardly cursing he fact that a vampire held such a higher rank than she did. It didn't help that Vanapira looked so much more…alluring than she did. "We hope you will find the night's events enjoyable."

"Oh, we certainly will." Vanapira grinned, mischief twinkling in her violet eyes. Cleo had the distinct impression that Dracula's bride had hatched a plan, one that her sister was bound to find offensive.

The plan became plainly apparent when Sibella Dracula and Elsa Frankenteen entered the foyer, arms linked and smiling lovingly at one another. Elsa, for her part, looked both feminine and masculine in her black and white Victorian-inspired ensemble. The messy-on-purpose hairdo and absence any makeup more serious than a coat of mascara and shimmery lip balm just added to that illusion. And Sibella… Ra, did she make Cleo feel inferior and strangely turned on. How could anyone resist? The way the violet fishtail gown hugging the small vampiress' curves was downright sinful.

If Draculaura would grow up to have that kind of body, there was no way to keep Clawd from getting his furry paws all over her.

"Lady Frankenteen; Lady Dracula." Cleo offered a reverent bow while Nefera seemed to have lost the ability to speak. "On behalf of the de Nile family, I welcome you to our home. Refreshments are in the great room on the left."

"You." Nefera sputtered, composure fast waning. "What kind of perverted joke is this?"

"Joke? Why would we joke like this?" Elsa somehow managed to look both smug and confused as she spoke. "This is a very important matter."

"You can't possibly be serious." The blue-haired mummy straightened her spine. "It is forbidden for two women…"

"If you are referring to the Marriage Ruling of 1745, you should be well aware that it was repealed and replaced by the Equality Act of 2005." Sibella responded coolly. "We may not be legally recognized by the state, but as far as the ghoul world is concerned, same-sex couples are entitled the same rights as heterosexual couples. And in case you were wondering, that ruling also protects the rights and interest of inter-species couples." A pleased smirk formed on the woman's red lips. "Enjoy your little party, Nefera."

Cleo bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling, which would incur her sister's wrath. She'd forgotten just how entertaining it was to watch Nefera be put in her place. Nefera might have royal breeding and a superiority complex, but she would make a poor queen. Her knowledge of court rulings and which laws were currently on the books was shaky at best, and she had no respect for other people. Such a shame Daddy was too blind to notice…

"Oh, there you two are!" the angelic form of Phantasma floated through the walls and into the foyer. Her white tie-front silk halter gown billowed around her feet, which were elegantly protected by a pair of white stilettos. "Frankie and that Rochelle girl are in the great hall chatting with Deuce. Anybody seen Winnie's group?"

"Not yet, but I don't know how many cars they took to get here." Elsa shrugged, glancing from Phantasma to Sibella. "Shall we go into the great hall?"

"Yes, love, we most certainly shall." The violet-haired vixen purred, causing Nefera to do a rather lively imitation of someone experiencing a complex partial siezure.

As the family of vampires left her field of vision, the crown princess of Egypt seethed. The nerve of that woman, flaunting her private life for all the world to see! Such behavior as that was simply unnatural as far as Nefera was concerned. Could not the undead sorceress at least _pretend_ to have an interest in males? Sibella's blatant show of her true colors (which, apparently, took the form of a rainbow) even put Count Dracula in a state of unease! There were young, impressionable minds here, and this type of behavior was sure to corrupt them!

"Who does that bitch think she is, disrupting social norms like that?" The young woman grumbled under her breath.

"The future head of the council, unless the Count decides to let Laura have a go at running things." Cleo hissed back at her older sibling. "Whether you like it or not, she is **still** a rank above us and is to be treated with respect due to a woman of her status." If she was this bad about Sibella, Cleo knew her sister would have kittens when the Wolf family finally arrived.

~_She won't be head once I take father's place_.~ Nefera thought, keeping her brown/violet eyes fixated on the door. ~_Then she will bow before me as she should have all those years ago_.~

Several more minutes passed in uncomfortable silence between the two sisters. The great unveiling would come soon, and the Wolf family had yet to arrive. Then again, with that many children to get dressed and out of the house, neither of them were surprised by that fact. With roughly ten minutes until her parents were scheduled to make the big announcement, the front doors opened and the pack of half-grown werewolves bounded down the stairs.

The boys were all in their best suits, with Clawd and his father wearing tuxedos for the occasion. Mrs. Wolf wore a simple yet elegant forest green gown and gold jewelry, her hair pulled into an artful updo. Clawdeen chose an orchid square-necked gown with three diamond-shaped cut-outs in the bodice—the largest of which extended nearly to her waist—and pulled only a small portion of her wavy hair out of her face through the use of a jeweled metal clip. Howleen's turquoise one-shouldered evening dress didn't reach the floor, but when paired with gold flats it fit the often tomboyish teen nicely. Accents of gold gave the otherwise plain dress a more dramatic feel. Winnie bucked the trend of cool-toned colors completely with her slinky red dress. The strappy dress had a high neck, which was very nearly negated by the dramatically low back. Her usually unruly hair had been slicked into half-ponytail with ringlet curls cascading down the back of her neck.

Yes, the Wolf clan cleaned up nicely, but Cleo's attention was solely devoted to the human male with scruffy light brown hair and matching eyes. He looked rather uncomfortable in his black dress suit, but the Great Dane that padded along beside him seemed confident that he looked good in his doggie-tux. "Ah, you must be Shaggy Rogers and Scooby-Doo." Cleo smiled, feeling her sister straighten up next to her. "Tanis speaks of you often."

"I hope what she said was good." The man smiled nervously while Nefera sized him up. "She was a good student when I taught at Grimwood's."

"How could any of us bad-mouth you, Coach Shaggy?" Winnie flashed a wide fanged grin.

"Rest assured, she has extold your good virtues across the palace." Nefera forced herself not to be outright rude to the man. Father had invited this _normie_ personally, and would surely demote her for acting any less than the perfect hostess to him. Someone at the party would surely rat her out for it, despite her threatening the servants not to speak of her…questionable actions toward other visitors. With her luck, it would be that witch Sibella that did it. "On behalf of the de Nile family, I welcome you and the Wolf clan into our home." For now anyway, she mentally reminded herself. As soon as she had the throne, none of this riff-raff would be permitted entrance to her sanctum.

"Like, thanks." The human waved casually as he made his way toward the gathering room. "Come on, Scoob, let's go hit the snack bar."

"Rack Rar! Roh Roy!" Nefera's ebony eyebrows formed high arches when she heard the dog respond in something akin to human speech.

"The mutt talks?" She hissed.

"Yes. Father mentioned it this morning." Cleo tried her best to hide her amusement, but couldn't quite keep herself from smirking. "Tanis has been going on about them for years. It won't kill you to listen every once in a while, sister."

"This whole affair is an outrage and a farce!" The older sister whirled to face her younger competition as their guests all left to mingle in the other room. She seemed to have forgotten, however, that Spectra was still hiding in the shadows. "We should have kept this a private affair to spare her embarrassment and our social status when she turns out to be ugly! She's the third princess and will never see the throne; such attention is wasted on her!"

"Enough!" Nefera involuntarily straightened her posture as her father's voice boomed from behind her. He approached from the hallway, dark eyes glinting like sharpened arrowheads in the torchlight. "I will not tolerate this sort of behavior!"

"But it's true!" The firstborn protested. "She's nothing compared to me, you know that! She and everyone else at this stupid gathering! Especially that brazen vampiress and the gorgon boy! Only another royal mummy is worth our notice!"

"So this is why you wanted father to break my relationship with Deuce up?" Cleo narrowed her bright eyes, fury rising faster than Spectra could spread rumors. "He treats me like the princess I am, respects our status, and has been nothing but cordial to you, yet he still isn't good enough?"

"I never wanted believed it was true." Ramses glared at Nefera. "I have been hearing terrible reports of your actions toward others, but could not force myself to believe any of it until your mother corroborated them." He shook his head. "Now I see the truth. You are unworthy of the title of Crown Princess and future Queen."

"No!" The princess shrieked, paying no mind to the crowd gathering to watch the disagreement. "I was the first born! I am the superior sorceress! That title should be mine!"

"Not anymore." The King of Egypt's expression hardened. "Nefera Mosi de Nile, by the power of the High Courts of Egypt, I strip you of your title as Heir Apparent and Crown Princess." He turned to Cleo, who stared at him with shocked aquamarine eyes. "Cleopatra Naeema de Nile, I hereby bestow upon you the title of Crown Princess, which your sister disgraced. May you wear it wisely."

"Yes, Father." Cleo bowed her head respectfully, still trying to process what just occurred. "How has Tanis fared? Did the gods bring her safely through the ceremony?" If the ceremony wasn't performed properly, the results were disastrous, sometimes killing both the priest and the person on whom it was performed.

"She is well." His smiled warmed as he spoke. "Your mother is tending to her. Have all the guests arrived?"

"All of those that were named on your list, Father." Cleo nodded.

"Very good." He replied. "Now, let us all go back into the main room. It will not take your mother and sister long to join us."

* * *

><p>"So, how does it feel to finally be the princess you always dreamed of becoming?" Spectra asked, a pencil and notepad poised in her hands.<p>

"I…I don't know yet." Cleo answered honestly. "It still hasn't hit me as a reality."

"That's okay; I can ask you that question later, when you feel up to an interview." The transparent girl laughed. "The audio of that spat alone is going to get me thousands of hits on MonsterTube."

Ah, public humiliation. Exactly what Nefera needed to knock her down a peg or two. "You might want to stick close to her when Tanis is brought out." The young mummy smiled. "Unless I have missed my guess, the audio commentary should be spectacular."

"So you don't believe that your sister will be ugly?" Spectra inquired, hands itching to write down her classmate's answer.

"Isis, no!" the princess scoffed. "She has father's cheekbones and mother's eyes and nose. There's no way she's anything but beautiful; Nefera feels threatened by that, just as she was threatened when _my_ facial bandages were removed. She tried the exact same stunt then and was summarily proven incorrect."

"Ah. That makes sense." Spectra muttered as she meticulously wrote down what Cleo had said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I simply must try to get a comment from the elder Miss Dracula."

"Have fun with that." Cleo waved as the ethereal teen floated away. She looked to her other side and smiled, noticing Deuce walking up to her with two punch glasses in his hands. "Thank you doesn't even cover it." She told him, taking the glass he offered to her. "I didn't even ask…"

"No, but it looked like you could certainly use it." He smiled warmly.

"You're the best monster a ghoul could ever want." She told him.

* * *

><p>Four of the five Grimwood girls gathered around Shaggy and Scooby-Doo when Ramses stepped out into the room, two female figures lurking in the shadows behind him. Cleo hugged Deuce tightly, aquamarine eyes transfixed on the shadowed doorway. Nefera, by contrast, sulked in a far corner of the main room—away from the guests and her family.<p>

"Family, friends, and honored guests, the time of waiting is ended." The undead Pharaoh spoke, his voice carrying across the large room without need for a microphone or bullhorn. Cleo watched in rapt focus, hoping that one day she could command that kind of respect. "The gods have seen my youngest safely through the ceremony, which is cause enough for celebration. Queen Isadora and I proudly present to all of you Princess Tanis de Nile, second in line for the throne of Egypt after her older sister Cleo."

The entire hall watched silently as Ramses and Isadora stepped aside, allowing the timid figure behind them to step into the bright candlelight of the great hall. Her black-violet hair fell to her chin in a banged bob, framing her face and highlighting her high cheekbones. Her tanned skin, though lighter than either of the adult mummies' complexions, was blemish-free save a single violet gem perched on her left cheek like a beauty mark. It offered a dazzling compliment to her deep blue eyes. A high-necked lavender dress with a white sash at the waist covered most of her dainty frame, but left the wrappings on her arms exposed. A pair of simple white shoes covered her feet, but could barely be seen under the full skirt of her dress.

Cleo stared in awe. She'd never seen her baby sister look so regal before. Granted, the girl still attempted to hide behind their parents, but shy behavior aside she looked every bit a princess. And quite a beautiful princess at that! She turned her head to the side to notice Nefera fuming in her corner. Cleo could almost see smoke pouring out of the older mummy's ears and nostrils. All those years of belittling, deriding, and bullying her youngest sister had done little to change the outcome of tonight's ceremony. Tanis, not Nefera, was the sort of princess their nation deserved.

"She can't hold a candle to you, but she's very pretty." Deuce murmured in her ear. Her aqua eyes glanced appreciatively at his sunglasses. Shame she couldn't look directly into those green eyes of his.

"Flattery will get you everywhere." She smiled. "But you're right. She's beautiful."

"You act like you expected something else." Cleo's eyes narrowed as Sibella approached.

"I expected her to be attractively awkward, like I was."

"Fair enough." The vampiress shrugged as Elsa appeared beside her. "Looks like coach Shaggy's going to be the first to greet her."

"After travelling across the country and putting up with Nefera, the man has earned it." Cleo remarked, observing the brown-haired human cheerfully making his way over to a now-excited Tanis. "Do you know why he's putting off waves of feral magic?" She asked.

"Unfortunately, I do." The green-eyed vampire's red lips contorted into a frown. "Father used magic to make him a werewolf when Winnie's father retired from the Monster Drag Race circuit. He took the spell off and found another contender after Shaggy and Scooby won, but that kind of magic leaves strong residue behind."

"I wasn't aware you could inflict lycanthropy through magic." Cleo muttered. "And why did the Count feel the need to seek out a new werewolf when there are so many capable drivers in our world?"

"The capable drivers all think that either Father or the Phantom cheats." The eyeroll accompanying that sentence nearly caused Cleo to snort. "Fortunately they found a suitable substitute. I much prefer Coach Shaggy as a human."

"I am inclined to agree with you and I don't even know the man Cleo responded, carefully observing the interaction between the former monster and her little sister. Tanis' blue eyes shone brightly in the torchlight as she conversed with the man and his familiar, easily matching the smile plastered on her face.

"Go talk to him, then." Elsa suggested. "He works with a detective group these days; catches humans dressing up like ghouls so they can commit crimes."

Yes, someone with those kinds of skills would make a fine ally. And one of the humans might have social connections beneficial for the ghouls. "I believe I will." She replied. With her head held high, she crossed the room and came to stand next to her sister.

"Cleo!" Tanis jumped up and down in a decidedly unladylike fashion, latching both of her small hands onto Cleo's right arm. "Coach Shaggy made it!"

"I know. I met him when he came in." The older sister smiled fondly at her exuberant sibling before turning to face Shaggy Rogers. "And I personally thank you for taking time out of your schedule to attend this celebration."

"Like, how could I stay away?" The tips of the man's ears turned red with embarrassment.

"Indeed." Cleo remarked. "Now, Sibella tells me that you're part of a detective team? Is this true?"

"Yeah. Mystery Incorporated, that's us." The human seemed to be slowly gaining confidence. Good. "Most of it winds up being crooks in costumes, but…"

"But?" Cleo asked, noticing how her little sister's eyes grew wide with curiosity. "Were some of them real monsters?" Scooby-Doo growled in displeasure, which was answer enough for the young mummy.

"Let's see, ghost of an evil witch who wanted to wipe out an entire town? Yes. Zombies and weird cat people trying to steal our life-force in Louisiana? Also yes." Shaggy answered as Cleo heard an angry hissing noise behind her.

"Someone dared make an attempt to kill one marked by the council?" Ah, Sibella was the culprit. The vampiress' green eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as she stared at Shaggy. "Where are they?"

"The ghost is re-sealed in the book she came out of; zombies are finally able to rest in peace and the cat people are gone for good." He threw his hands up in a 'no-harm' gesture. "It's all cool now."

"No, it most certainly is not!" Sibella growled. "Were these attempts recent?" Shaggy gulped but made no move to speak. An angry snarl escaped the usually composed woman.

"Easy, Bella, there's an easy fix for that." Elsa soothed, putting a calming hand on the irate vampire's shoulder. Cleo stiffened.

"You want to tattoo them?"

"I was thinking of amulets, but the tattoo idea's not half bad."

"Huh?" The man blinked, looking at the two women in abject confusion.

"Mr. Rogers, we are going to give you something that will prevent any self-respecting ghoul—or one that values their continue existence, at any rate—from daring to harm you." Cleo spoke. "It's tricky magic to make an amulet, though."

"Leave the magic to me and my mother." Sibella spoke. "With any luck, we'll have them done by tomorrow. I would make one for your friends, but I won't without meeting them in person first. I won't have these falling into the wrong hands."

"No problem. I'll see if I can get them up here for a case this year." Tanis squeaked and hugged him. The young mummy was fascinated with the adventures of Mystery Inc. "Though we might need to ease them into…well, into this world. Velma's still convinced that monsters aren't real."

"Introduce them to Miss G." Elsa shrugged. "She looks human enough not to draw immediate suspicion. Also, I think Matches misses you guys."

"We all miss you two." Winnie butted her way into the conversation. "Can you come back and visit us this year? I miss the volleyball practice and the laps around school grounds. The new teacher doesn't want to go running through the swamp."

"I can't say that I blame him; that swamp is a wreck." Sibella remarked flatly. "Think we could talk the groundskeeper into making the jogging trails look like actual trails for once?"

"I'll see what I can do." Winnie offered a sharp-toothed grin. Shaggy shook his head, a wan smile on his face.

"Man, I missed you girls."

"Re Roo." Scooby spoke up, nearly causing Cleo to jump. She was never going to get used to the talking dog.

"Well, next time don't wait six years to visit us!" Sibella huffed, folding her arms across her chest in a way that made it hard for anyone not to notice how little of her torso that dress covered.

"Maybe we should host an annual reunion?" Elsa offered. "Phanty'd love it, and Miss Grimwood wouldn't mind hosting…"

"And having contact with us at regular intervals will keep the magic on the protection amulets strong." The violet-haired vixen added on to her girlfriend's statement. Her emerald gaze focused on the smallest person in the room. "If your mother and father permit it, would you like to learn how to make a protection amulet?"

"Mother would probably help." Cleo realized. "She's always been talented with protection spells."

"Yes!" It was so different (in a good way!) to be able to see Tanis' whole face light up when something excited her. "Think Mommy will let her stay after the party?" She turned her lapis-lazuli blue eyes up to meet her sister's aquamarine ones.

"For this, she will." Cleo assured her. "Mr. 'Shaggy' is considered a friend to us; she'll be eager to help him out."


End file.
